69 dead in Yemen capital arms depot blasts

At least 69 people were killed and 250 others were wounded by explosions after Saudi-led warplanes hit an arms depot on the outskirts of Sanaa, a medical official said Tuesday.

“These are the cases registered so far,” the official said, adding that most of those killed and wounded were civilians.

Residents said that explosions at a military base at Mount Noqum, in the eastern outskirts of Yemen’s capital, lasted until midday on Tuesday after coalition jets struck the depot late Monday.

Medics on the ground had given AFP an earlier toll of five killed and 20 wounded.

The depot was bombed again on Tuesday, an AFP correspondent said.

The strikes set off huge explosions that sent debris crashing into a residential area at the foot of the mountain.

An April 21 coalition raid on a missile base in the rebel-held capital triggered explosions that killed 38 people and wounded 532.

A five-day pause in the coalition bombing campaign was due to start at 11:00 pm (2000 GMT) Tuesday to allow deliveries of desperately needed relief supplies.